Portable and disposable gasoline container



Feb. 23, 1965 c. E. DALEY 3,170,601

JFORTABLE AND DISPOSABLE GASOLINE CONTAINER Filed Feb. 15. 1963 INVENTOR CHARLES E. DALEY BY M 2% ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,170,601 PORTABLE AND DISPOSABLE GASOLINE CONTAINER Charles E. Daley, 18 Oakdale Road, North Wilmington, Mass. Filed Feb. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 258,693 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-153) The present invention relates to a container for gasoline or other combustible liquid and, more particularly,

to a readily opened container characterized by desired portability and unusual safety for use in conjunction with a spare supply of gasoline or the like by motorists or others.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a container of the foregoing type comprising a hermetic metallic inner shell and a fireproof insulating and rupturable outer shell, the inner shell being provided with a flexible, elongated nozzle through which its contents may be emptied and the outer shell being provided with a ripcord in association with the nozzle and with the outer shell in such a way that in a single operation it opens the outer shell and makes the nozzle accessible. Preferably, the outer shell is composed of a heavy paper that may be easily ripped, the nozzle communicates with the lower portion of the inner shell and the ripcord, which extends from the upper portion to the lower portion of the outer shell, is connected at its upper portion to the outer extremity of the nozzle.

Other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the product possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, the scope of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a preferred container of the present invention in unopened condition; FIG. 1a represents a modification of the nozzle; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 in opened condition.

Generally, the illustrated container comprises an inner shell 10, a flexible nozzle 12, an outer shell 14, and a carrying strap 16.

Inner shell is vertically elongated, having upper and lower rectangular panels, two narrow vertical panels and two wide vertical panels that constitute a parallelopiped-shaped, hermetic can for the confinement of gasoline or another combustable liquid. Shell 10 is composed of a metal such as tin or aluminum. At the lower portion of one of the narrow vertical panels is an opening 18 to which is connected the lower extremity of flexible nozzle 12. Flexible nozzle 12 preferably is in the form of a spiral convoluted, elongated metallic strip, the contiguous edges of the convolutions of which are suitably locked. The upper extremity of nozzle 12 is threaded to receive a simple screw cap 20. Alternatively, nozzle 12 is a flexible plastic tube 22 composed, for example, of neoprene as shown in FIG. 1a. In this form, the nozzle is closed by a clamp 24.

Outer shell 14 is vertically elongated, having upper and lower rectangular panels, two narrow vertical panels and two wide vertical panels that constitute a parallelopiped-shaped, carton for the confinement of inner shell 10. Each of the panels of outer shell 14 includes, in.

laminated sequence, an inner facing 26, an intermediate layer 28 of a soft insulating material such as fiberglass batting or cardboard flakes, and an outer facing 20. In-

ner facing 26 preferably is composed of aluminum foil. Outer facing 30 preferably is composed of a fireproof paper, composed conventionally of felted cellulosic fibers impregnated with a flame retardant chemical agent such as ammonium sulfate.

Extending along the innermost surface of one of the narrow panels of outer shell 14 is a ripcord 31, which is bonded to this innermost surface by a suitable cement in registration with nozzle 12. The upper extremity of ripcord 31 extends through a sealed opening in the panel of shell 14 and is connected to the upper extremity of nozzle 12. In operation, as shown in FIG. 2, when ripcord is manually pulled, its associated panel is cut along a slit 33 parallel to nozzle 12, which is drawn from within outer shell 14 as the length of the slit increases. Ripcord 31 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 in the position at which it is bonded as above. In FIG. 2, the outer shell is shown as being partially ripped apart to illustrate the relation between the main portion and the extremity portion, which portions normally are connected as shown in FIG. 1. Operation of ripcord 31 creates a slit, through which nozzle 12 is accessible. The edge of outer shell 14 is shown ripped away to suggest the structure in the vicinity of the nozzle. Thereafter, cap 20 may be removed and the combustible liquid contents poured through nozzle 12. Before ripcord 30 is pulled, the container may be filled through a normally sealed port 32 and may be stored or carried safely for long periods of time.

Since certain changes may be made in the foregoing description and drawings without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter therein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A container for a combustible liquid, said container comprising an inner shell and an outer shell, said inner shell being composed of a metal, said outer shell being composed of a rupturable flame retardant material, said inner shell having an opening at a first portion, an elongated nozzle communicating with said opening and secured at one of its ends to the inner shell and extending toward a second portion of said inner shell outside said inner shell and inside said outer shell, the free extremity of said nozzle being closed, a ripcord attached to said outer shell and extending therealong in registration with said nozzle, one portion of said ripcord being connected to the free extremity of said nozzle, said ripcord being capable of rupturing said outer shell in order to cause said nozzle to project outwardly from within said outer shell.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said outer shell includes an inner coat of metal foil, intermediate ply of insulator and an exterior ply of paper impregnated with a flame retardant chemical agent.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said insulator is fiberglass and said agent is ammonium sulfate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,959,966 5/34 Robinson 1l7---l38 2,239,691 4/41 Becker.

3,066,847 12/62 Fortune.

3,089,622 5/63 Westlake 222-529 X LOUIS I, DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER FOR A COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING AN INNER SHELL AND AN OUTER SHELL, SAID INNER SHELL BEING COMPOSED OF A METAL, SAID OUTER SHELL BEING COMPOSED OF A RUPTURABLE FLAME RETARDANT MATERIAL, SAID INNER SHELL HAVING AN OPENING AT A FIRST PORTION, AN ELONGATED NOZLE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENING AND SECURED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS TO THE INNER SHELL AND EXTENDING TOWARD A SECOND PORTION OF SAID INNER SHELL OUTSIDE SAID INNER SHELL AND INSIDE SAID OUTER SHELL, THE FREE EXTREMITY OF SAID NOZZLE BEING CLOSED, A RIPCORD ATTACHED TO SAID OUTER SHELL AND EXTENDING THEREALONG IN REGISTRATION WITH SAID NOZZLE, ONE PORTION OF SAID RIPCORD BEING CONNECTED TO THE FREE EXTREMITY OF SAID NOZZLE, SAID RIPCORD BEING CAPABLE OF RUPTURING SAID OUTER SHELL IN ORDER TO CAUSE SAID NOZZLE TO PROJECT OUTWARDLY FROM WITHIN SAID OUTER SHELL. 